Jangban guksu is a healthy and delicious noodle dish mixed with assortment of vegetables. Buckwheat noodles are mixed in with perilla/sesame leaves, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, and carrots in a zesty spicy sauce called chojang. Chojang comprises of watered down gochujang mixed with chopped green onions, rice vinegar, sesame seed and sesame oil.

Different variation of this noodle dish exist, including a non-spicy version in which gochujang is substituted with soy sauce along with other ingredients as its base sauce. Additionally, thin strips of Asian pear can be added for additional mixture in taste as well as a boiled egg for garnish.

Recipe Ingredients

Buckwheat noodles (2-3 bundle wraps)

1-2 eggs

2 tbsp gochujang

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seed

1 stalk green onion (chopped)

2 red leaf lettuce leaves (chopped)

1 carrot (julienne)

½ Asian pear (julienne)

5 perilla/sesame leaves

1 cucumber

1 tsp sugar

Can 7UP or Sprite soda (optional)

Cooking Directions

To make sauce, you can either add water and sugar; or substitute it with the soda (2-3 tbsp). If using soda, do not add sugar.

In a bowl, add gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and water/sugar or soda.

Mix all ingredients together until it becomes diluted. Finely chop green onions and add to mix. Refrigerate for later use.

For non-spicy sauce, mix:

2 tbsp soy sauce

½ tbsp sugar

1 tbsp water

1 tsp mirin

1 tsp sesame oil

Black pepper

Chopped green onions

Boil enough water and add buckwheat noodles until it becomes soft. Drain and put aside to cool.

Recycle or boil more water to make hardboiled egg(s). Boil for 5-6 minutes and peel off the shells. Put aside for later use.